Blow Up the GOP
Amity Shlaes:
Stop Moralizing -- Junk the social conservatism. There’s always been an inherent contradiction in aggressive moralizing by Republicans. On the one hand, the party stands for federalism -- asking Washington to do less. On the other hand the party can’t resist moralizing, even when it means expansion of the federal government. Witness the federal foray into schooling that was No Child Left Behind. On top of this policy split comes the personal hypocrisy. There are some who argue that voters like a sinning politician who reforms in prime time better than a politician who never betrays his family at all. After all, the former makes for better television. Still, every hour of public tears is an hour of new policy lost. What next? The energy that used to go into moralizing can go into fighting for policies and laws to sustain that relative competitiveness. One such policy is a commitment to a stable dollar. . . .As a conservative first and Republican second, I agree that the GOP has become an easy target for hypocrisy (Bill Clinton is revered for having an affair and biting his lower lip for penance). However, we do need a party that defends the sanctity of life and marriage. Are such defenses "moralizing"? I would argue they need not be. Lastly, Governor Sanford should resign.